Locust Grove Church of Christ, Locust Grove, GA - Forsaking the church Assembly

Not Forsaking the Assembly

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

It is commanded that we come together in fellowship at least every Sunday to help one another to remain faithful. It fulfills a few other commands too.

We show our love for the Lord (John 14:15).
It increases our love one for another (John 13:34).
We are encouraged to sing the praises of God (Psalm 150).
Christ is guaranteed to be in the mist (Matthew 18:20).
Regular attendance protects us from apostasy (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Keeps us from sinning and helps us to grow into mature Christians (Proverbs 7:1-5; 1 Peter 2:2).

One of the earliest signs of apostasy is when a Christian stops coming to church. However, coming to church is how we are edified! Apostasy is the abandoning of our Christianity and our inheritance in heaven. Christians are expected to have a certain attitude, or manner of life. When the Christian forsakes assembly it becomes hard to find proper encouragement and instruction. Hellfire and self-damnation follow.

People in the early church assembled on days other than Sunday as well: at times of persecution, to teach others, after missionary tours, for purposes of discipline, to pray, etc. During the Patriarchal and Mosaic dispensations, God's people got together so much that God had to ordain 2 silver trumpets with differing sounds so the people would know the purpose when they were being called together. Concerning fellowship the psalmist wrote in Psalm 122:1, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." God wants worship and fellowship to play a vital role in every Christian's life.

There are 2 reasons for unfaithfulness in the assembly: not doing it and not doing it for the right reasons. It is just as damning to not come to church at all as it is to come to church for the wrong reasons.

We need church. Did you read that correctly? It read, "We need church." It is not for silly, empty reasons that God commands us to assemble and fellowship with other believers. As was mentioned earlier, by abandoning the assembly we are, in essence, destroying our identity as children of the Living God. This is intentional sinning. "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:26)." We are most inclined to forsake the assembly when we are discouraged or when we ourselves have sinned. But that is the time when we need fellowship and God the most.

So how do we bring people back to church? We teach them! We teach them through doctrine, through biblical examples, through our own words and actions, through keeping the church services as the Bible directs them to be. How can we find the lost when we ourselves are being led astray? We have to find them and teach them the great benefits of being a child of God.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)